Darkness of Dawn
by RhaRt
Summary: Forced away from her cannibalistic family, Natsumi has to live in Konoha. Can she find a way to live with her peculiar nature? Or will she need some help? Sorry, suck at summaries. Story's better though. oc-centric. Nejixoc ocxneji neji/oc oc/neji HAITUS


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, that right belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This chapter is manlely for explanatory purposes , and may be considered boring. It is slow paced and lacking any major action, but please, bear with me! :)

*Yukata – A japanese dressing robe usually made of lightweight cotton.

*Itoko- cousin

*dono- sir

Chapter 1: Until the Bitter End

I hauled a bag of groceries through the village of our Clan, sighing with effort. Tonight would be mine. I would escape. A familiar figure jumped in front of me, holding out a hand.

"Need some help?" I glared at Claude slightly.

"I'm good," I responded heavily, nearly dropping the bag.

"Really? It doesn't look like that to me," I narrowed my amber orbs in a glare. Stupid brother... he never knew when to stop. He stepped back slightly and masked his grin with a serious gaze.

"We need to talk. Now." I gulped nervously. There's no way he could know... right? I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. I couldn't stay here anymore. The way my clan operated was just... humanely wrong. I shuddered at the mere thought. No one was allowed to step a foot outside the Village. In fact, most everyone didn't even know that we existed. We used a high leveled genjutsu to mask our existence. Many unlucky travelers and rouges stumble into our village, unbeknownst to the horrid fate awaiting them. The Clan would capture them, rob them, and... eat them. Once, though, a boy maybe a year or two older than me ventured near the village, nearly trespassing into our territory. I knew what would await him when he got far enough in, so I had warned him. Heeding my warning, he changed directions, and I never saw him again. I pray no one caught him. I know the whole idea seems rather grotesque, but it was our way of functioning. The taste was horrid, though they constantly stated that even though it was a nice delicacy, I would get used to it and learn to love it... and I already found myself rather addicted to it... Tsh, it's disgusting, what am I talking about? Besides, human flesh is much too course for my liking, especially when cooked. In the midst of my thoughts, Claude grabbed my wrist and yanked me into the alleyway. I nearly dropped the groceries and fell flat on my face, but I steadied myself on the side of a building, setting the groceries down neatly beside me.

"Claude! What? I need to get these home for the... feast, tonight," my nose crinkled in disgust, and my gaze met his, both reflecting distaste.

"I know what your planning, Natsumi," He hissed, narrowing his eyes, "-And she's not going to like it one bit,"  
>"Well, Mother can go fuck herself! It's not like she even cares what I do! There's no way I'm going to get addicted to... human, " Basically, when the people in the Clan turn fourteen, they hold a ceremony called The Jitsugen Festival. In the ceremony, the person has to swear an oath to only eat meat (preferably human) for the rest of their life. The downfall (as if eating human flesh isn't bad enough) was that if you break the oath -which is actually a jutsu, if you haven't already guessed - your chakra network gets switched off, and basically your body get weaker until you a die a slow, painful death.<p>

"I'm going with you," I went to yell and him again, but as soon I realized what he said, my mouth gaped open. "There's nothing you can do to stop me," In a way, I was relieved I didn't have to go through this alone.

"Very well,"

o0o0o0o0o

My heart thudded so hard against my chest I wondered if someone may hear it. I leaping over a log, fear etched in every cell of my body. They were going to get us! Sirens wailed in the distance and I heard a crack, then a thud behind me as a scream pierced the night air. I skidded to a halt and whipped my head around. Sweat and grim matted my hair to my forehead. Amber eyes widening in horror, and I saw the body of my brother spreadeagled, face down, on the forest floor, legs twisted at an unnatural angle.

"Claude!" I leaped for him, but a familiar figure shoved me to the ground.

"You dare disobey and forever taint my name by trying to run away with your poor excuse for a brother?" The woman sneered down at me, her amber eyes narrowed in an accusing glare. Her green hair, previously tied in an elegant up-do, now lay tangled and dirty just below her shoulder blades. The mere sight of her shook my very foundation. The sight of my mother. She gazed down at Claude, a mix between disgust and anger adorning her features. With the tip of her shoe, she rolled Claude over. He winced, and shouted:

"Natsumi! Go! Run, hurry-!" His voice faltered slightly as he spotted mother, and his eyes went void of all emotion.

"Leave, let Natsumi go. Take me if you have to, just leave her alone," it was strange, seeing this side of my brother. He was usually joking and playing around all the time. All talk and no action. His blank face was more terrifying than his angry one.

"You know the rules. None can leave. There are no exceptions, you know that." She turned to glare at me, her eyes narrowed. I shivered slightly. Claude grimaced, glancing in my direction, eyes filled to the brim with a mix of fear and anger.

"You will not touch her!" He snarled, startling me slightly. He tried to push himself off the ground, but slumped to the ground instantly. I was right, his legs were broken. I grimaced at his whimper. His face was contorted in pain, but his eyes remained strong.

"And how might you plan to protect her?" She smiled mercilessly. Parents in the Clan were... rather uncaring. They were there for the sole purpose of "breeding new generations". So, when you became of age (16) you would be paired (though you found out earlier that day) with the appropriate spouse. It was held the twelfth of September, and if you didn't turn 16 before that, you'd wait for next years "festival". So, unfortunately, it was the twelfth AND my birthday, hence my determination to escape. Sadly, I had been paired with a guy named Nodoko, who had enjoyed teasing and pranking Claude when we were younger. I'm not exaggerating either to say I hate his guts and I hope he dies in a hole. No, Claude and I were going to escape. Tonight. No way was I going to be with Nodoko... Claude growled at her, and a grin spread widely across her face. The more I interacted with her, the more I thought she was a sociopath. It would provide an explanation for her antisocial and sadistic nature. Claude's gaze shifted from mother to me, giving me silent instructions. I'll provide a distraction, then you run. We shared a unique connection with each other, unbeknownst to anyone except ourselves. All the sudden, the wail of the sirens were cut off, and the moon disappeared. Claude and mother evaporated. The trees erupted in flames around me. The smoke was so thick I could feel it rise around me, pushing against me like wind. The stench of it overwhelmed the air, and a smoky haze spread around me, shrouding nearly everything in my vision. Only the flickering of flames were visible, and my eyes watered and stung. What's going on? I pulled the top of my shirt over my lower face, and narrowed my eyes. I wanted to scream for Claude, but I know if even I inhaled too deeply, it would not be good. To no avail, I searched for Claude. I shook, and fear overwhelmed my senses.

"CLAUDE!" The next thing I knew, I was engulfed in water. I kicked my way to the surface. I gulped in the much needed air and coughed a little. I heard something behind me, and I swirled around, kicking hard to stay above the surface. Claude was kneeling on a deck about thirty yards behind me, with mother standing adjacent to him, holding a katana steadily to the back of his neck, barely touching his skin. I gaped in horror, and Claude's gaze lowered to the edge of the dock, eyes sparkling with uncertainty. Mother laughed manically, eyes widening crazily with madness.

"You'll never live to see the bitter end, Claude! Haha! How sad, poor little Natsumi will got to see YOUR bitter end! HAHAHA!" My lips drew back in a snarl, and I struggled to keep myself above the water. She sliced off Claude's head, and It fell and bounced a few times before rolling into the water, and Claude's body slumped loosely to the wood, and Mother laughed again. Before I could even utter a sound, Claude's head resurfaced in front of me, his eyes blankly staring up at me, glazed over in death. I screamed, and the water tainted red with his blood. I opened my mouth, and halfway through a scream, something dragged me underneath. I clutched at my throat, as if that would grant me breath. The sun disappeared as I felt my gaze grow hazy. I tilted my head downward, forest green locks swirled around me. A single red eye, with three tomoe surrounding the pupil stared back at me, holding the fate of my life in it's gaze. My eyes closed in loss of oxygen and I was pulled into nothingness.

0o0o0o0o0o

My amber eyes flitted open, and I found myself lying on the dirt floor in the forest from earlier, but it was without flames. I hauled myself off the forest floor brushing off stray leaves and dirt off of my dirtied yukata*. I eyed my surrounding, neither my brother or mother in sight. The alarms were off, and everything seemed peaceful. It seemed it was still night, though. But I couldn't be sure since the oaks were so high and clustered together. My doubt evaporated as I heard a owl hoot in the distance. Other than the owl, everything around me was eerily silent, not a comforting chirp of a crickets lingered in the night air. More importantly, where was Claude... he couldn't possibly be... dead? I felt the beginning of tears well up in my eye, and I wiped them away angrily. Even if Claude was... dead, It wasn't as if I could just prance back into the village. I had no choice. I had to leave. With or without Claude.

I panted slightly, sweat plastered my hair to my forehead, and I leaned heavily against a tree. Maybe running all night wasn't that great of an idea. I mentally scolded myself. The trees had begun to thin out, so I could spot the begging of a sunrise in the distance in front of me. So I'm headed east. Then I should reach Konohagakure soon, but what would I say? They wouldn't let me in without proof of identification, and then again, they may interrogate me if I was suspicious enough, anyway. I became irritated with my lack of readiness and overall planning. Oh well, nothing I could do but continue and hope for luck to be in my favor. I reached the edge of the forest, and spotted the entrance to Konohagakure in the distance. There would probably be two or three guards at least guarding the gates by itself, so I had to be extremely cautious. I quickly formulated a plan in my head. I plastered a look of fear and slight concern on my face, and ran as fast as I could, and I skidded to a halt in front if the the guards, and panted heavily, acting as if I had run a long way.

"State your business," The left guard stated, eying me warily.

"P-please sir, I just received and urgent call saying my dear cousin was bedridden in the hospital! Please, guard-sama! You must let me through!" I let fear flicker through my eyes, and I let fake tears well up in my amber orbs. The guards shared a look, and then the right one pushed himself off of his stool.

"I'll take her, Kotetsu-san," The man on the left nodded, and the guard opened the gates, and I rushed into the village. It was a rather expansive city, with a mountain with faces that stood at the opposite side of Konohagakure. I looked around blankly, and realized I had no idea where I was supposed to go. The guard noted my confusion, and ran off to the right, and I followed a few paces behind him. We reached the entrance of the hospital in less than a minute, and the guard stopped in front of the door, eying me warily to see what I would do next. Ahhhh, I didn't think this far ahead. I briefly nodded thanks in his direction, and pushed the door open. I glanced around, and found I was in a sot of lobby, with chairs covering most of the walls, and a desk sitting on the other side of the room, with a large opening to the left of it. Most likely the way I would have to go, unless I wanted to go up to the front desk and cause more trouble for myself. I walked swiftly to the opening, and plastered a forlorn and worried look on my face. The nurse behind the desk glanced up at me, but then looked back at the paperwork she was scribbling on. As I made in through the doorway, I turned my head and gazed behind me. To my dismay, the guard had followed me into the Hospital. That's why the nurse let me through so easily. I bit my lip, a nervous habit I had picked up over the years. I have to go in a room, and the occupant will most likely have to give conformation that they know me, and tell the guard. Ack, please, I can't get caught yet! Out of pure instinct, I turned left and opened a door, noting the room number was 1738. I mentally groaned, and I nudged the door open. There was a boy with chocolate brown hair tied in a long, dark brown hair, his hair reached the middle of his back and was tied back a few inches above the end, while two straps attached to a smaller headband underneath his ninja forehead protector frame the sides of his face. His his familiar eyes were like liquid silver, and I found myself lost in his curious gaze. Then it hit me. This was realizing the more time I wasted, the less the guard would believe my rouse.

"Itoko*! I was so worried! I came as soon as mother told me!" His eyes flickered with recognition, and his silver orbs flicked to the guard a few feet behind me. He nodded to the guard, and I heard the door click close behind me. His eyes immediately hardened, and looked me over in a calculating gaze.

Neji's POV

The girl's forest green hair hung low over her shoulders, nearly down to her lower back. She wore a blue shirt, with one sleeve gone, and the other coming just past her fingertips. Here collar bones were covered in gray, and the upper midsection and chest were purple, with a large bow tied elegantly behind her.. Bandages covered her lower stomach. Her skirt was split into three similar colors, with a small slit up the thought, with an equally small purple bow tied above it. Just like her stomach, her legs were bound with bandages, and she wore black leather boots that stopped just above her knees. Her amber eyes met my gaze, which sent an eerie feeling flooding through me. This was the girl that warned me all those years ago... Yes, it looked just like her, even though she was dressed differently. I need answers.

"Who are you?" I asked, and my eyes grew curious, though my complexion remained stoic.

"No one important," She completely blew of my question whit a sheepish wave of her hand.

"Oh, alright then, I guess I can call the guard back and explain that this," my finger made a circular motion between us "-was a mistake," My eyes narrowed dangerously at her, and I nearly smirked when she gulped slightly. She fiddles with the hem of her skirt, and chewed on her lower lip.

"Please, dono*! You mustn't tell! I had to get away!" Tears began forming in her eyes, and I decided not to ask about where she came from at the moment.

"Then answering my question will bid you well," I stated, and once again my calculating gaze wondered over her haggard appearance.

"My name is Sora Itemi, may I ask of yours?" She glanced nervously at me, her amber eyes filled to the brim with uncertainty.

"Neji Hyuuga," I stated blandly. "You were the one that warned me all those years ago, from what, I don't know," She stiffened visibility, and glanced to the left out the window, rays from the sun falling heavenly on her face. It struck me then how beautiful she was. I quickly erased the thought, and, sensing her plan, I leapt forward and grasped her arm tightly. I cringed when I jarred my healing ribs slightly. Her eyes widened slightly, filling with panic.

"Please, Hyuuga-san! Just let me leave. I promise I won't come back!" My hand gripped her arm tighter, and my knuckles turned white.

"I'm afraid I can't let you go that easily. Besides, how I am sure you aren't here to cause the village harm?"

"I-I..." She fell silent, clearly at a loss of words. Her brows furrowed in thought, and I pondered what to do with her. The most obvious choice was to bring her to the Hokage immediately, but I found myself hesitant at the thought. There really were no other option. He was sure she woulld retain her identity and personal information, no matter who she talked to. Guess I had to take her to the Hokage. H through off his itchy bed covers, and slid his legs off the side if his bed, all the while still tightly grasping her arm. He dropped to his feet with a slight thud, and began pulling Sora out of the room. She struggled against my iron grip, but I ignored it, and kept dragging her down the hallway, earning curious glances. If she became too much of a hassle, I would just knock her out and carry her to the Hokage. When they finally reached the tower, he strode up the stairs to the Hokage's doors. He knocked lightly on them, and then received permission to enter.

"Tsunade-sama, I've found this her- Sora Itemi, wandering about the village. I didn't recognize her, so I went up and asked for Identification, and she said she was new here, and wanted to start over again here," She looked Sora up and down. And I once again felt her stiffen next to me.

"Do you have any sort identification at all?" She asked sofly, earning blinks of confusion from Sora.

"Uhh, well you see, I've always been a rogue, but I recently left my family to search of a place to settle down, and, consequently, this was the first place I came to," She nodded to herself, then gazing up at Tsunade hopefully.

"Do you have money to support yourself?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" She pulled a large wad of bills from a pouch on her side and held it up for Tsunade to see. She smiled slightly, and nodded.

"Alright, if you have enough to support yourself until you can find a job, then there is nothing I can do to stop you. Though I do hope you realize that you will have to be watched until we can trust you, Itemi-san,"

"I'm fully aware," Tsunade then directed her gaze at me, with a small smile gracing her lips.

"Neji-san, I hereby put you in charge of watching Sora-san," and now a smirk played across her face, baiting me for a reaction. She would get none. I nodded, but inside I was seething. How dare she put me on guard duty! I was not some lowly Chuunin who deserved this sort of mission! Fate just had a way with toying with me!

o0o0o0o0o

A/N: Sorry again for the long, boring chapter, I promise it will get more interesting! Again, this chappie was mainly for explanatory purposes! Though I would GREATLY appreciate some reviews! *wink wink* Oh, and I'll update after I get around 3 reviews. Soo... (again) REVIEW! ;D


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